Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Government is working to ensure that local capacity, resources and knowledge are brought to bear on the overall humanitarian response to people fleeing Ukraine and seeking protection in Ireland. My Department is contributing to the effort by linking with key stakeholders at community level, providing information, assisting the co-ordination of supports through the community sector and enabling flexibility in programme delivery to shift focus onto the Ukraine response.

My Department recently hosted an information webinar attended by over 160 participants from community and voluntary sector organisations involved in the Ukraine response effort. The webinar provided information, disseminated key messages and encouraged communication and co-ordination. As part of the overall Government response, officials from the Department will regularly meet key national stakeholders from the community and voluntary sector to provide any necessary guidance, help address any operational issues that might arise locally and ensure consistent communications.

My Department has also committed to enabling flexibility in programme delivery where necessary to support the response. For example, flexibility has been offered to local development companies in respect of social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, resources. This will ensure that approximately 600 community development workers are available to help support arrivals from Ukraine. In addition, organisations supported under the community services programme can include Ukrainians in the target groups for their services. Exceptional additional funding for staff resources is being provided by my Department to volunteer centres providing support in front-line reception hubs and to a community support programme, CSP, organisation to assist its efforts in co-ordinating the response to Ukrainian refugees.

See this speech in context